The Facts

Are there really hungry people in Australia?

Yes there are. Hunger is a hidden crisis in Australia, with over 3.6 million people experiencing food insecurity at some point every year, 27% of which are children. In fact, the demand for food relief is rising, with charities reporting a 10% increase in demand last year.

It is also a common misconception that only homeless people require food relief. However, the main recipients of food relief are individuals and families who have generally low incomes or are unemployed, not just those who are homeless. The face of hunger in Australia is diverse – it affects males, females, children, the elderly, single people and families, students, employed, unemployed and retired people. High risk groups include people with disabilities, refugees and Indigenous Australians.

Some of the common reasons why people find themselves seeking food relief include a lack of funds to pay rent and bills, and unexpected expenses such as car repairs or medical bills.

The facts on hunger in Australia:

3.6 mil

people report having experienced food insecurity in the last year

652,000

people receive food relief from Foodbank agencies, every month

27%

of those are children (216,000)

65,000

people are turned away every month because of food shortages (14,600 of these are children)

The demand for food relief is rising, irrespective of national economic growth. Last year saw an increase of 10% in the number of people seeking food relief.